Have you ever asked yourself: what’s the vainest country in the world? Well, there are a few.
We can thank social media and filters for everyone wanting to become their idealized self, and it’s certainly not limited to a few countries.
However, there are a few that top the list from obsessions with youth to wild cosmetic surgery procedures, there are the countries that are the most beauty-obsessed and are willing to spend a pretty penny on attaining that fantasy of perfection.
Whether that means going under the knife or spending thousands on a skincare routine, here are the 10 most beauty-obsessed countries in the world.
1. South Korea
With a multi-billion dollar beauty industry and the fifth highest percentage of plastic surgeons in the world, Koreans are obsessed with everything beauty, whether that means makeup or altering how they look by other means. Even their most basic skincare process requires a minimum of 12 steps. South Korea has also become a popular destination for “nip-and-tick tourism” or tourists traveling and looking to get plastic surgery. Liposuction, eyelid procedures and nose jobs are the most popular processes here.
2. USA
It’s not surprising that the USA is one of the most youth and beauty-obsessed destinations. they’re also one of the most fat-phobic places in the world. The most obsessed with physical beauty, they also have an incredibly narrow view of beauty. And just in the past 10 years, there has been a whopping 446% increase in both cosmetic surgical and non-surgical procedures. The marketing in the US when it comes to being beautiful is unlike any other country’s.
3. United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates are filled with gyms, spas, and beautiful women that have their looks courtesy of plastic surgery. Seriously, there’s no other place in the world where you’ll see as many Kardashian lookalikes or girls with surgically altered faces and body. Described by many as the Beverly Hills of the Middle East, it’s the third most popular destination in the Middle East for cosmetic procedures.
4. Brazil
With an entire surgical procedure dubbed “The Brazilian Butt Lift” it’s no wonder that this country sits pretty high on our list. Brazilians are obsessed with getting as big of a booty and as small a waist as possible, like many of the other destinations on our list. Yearly, there are over 2.5 million cosmetic procedures performed. The most popular procedures besides buttocks augmentations are liposuction and breast augmentation.
5. Italy
Botox is the reigning queen of Italy, and liposuction comes in at a close second. Italians are generally thin, beautiful and well dressed, so it’s no surprise that they see beauty as an obligation. One of the most narcissistic countries out there, it’s hard to deny that Italy is one of the best-looking countries out there. When it comes to architecture, the landscape, and women, Italy only believes in the best of the best.
6. Japan
As is the case with many Asian countries, eyelid surgeries are one of the leading cosmetic surgical procedures performed in this country. Facial cosmetic surgery is generally the most popular here, as the Kim K body type isn’t exactly the ideal here. Just like South Koreans, the Japanese also take their makeup and skincare routines very seriously, with the goal of dewy “mochi skin”.
7. Colombia
In Colombia, teenage girls are taught from a young age to maintain a slender body type, and it’s no surprise that they have a high rate of eating disorders because of this. In fact, plastic surgery is so common in this country that for a girl’s “quinceañeras” on her 15th birthday, she’s gifted plastic surgery, since this is a common age for girls to enter beauty pageants in this country.
8. Greece
The ancient Greeks have always been obsessed with physical beauty, and in 2022, not too much has changed in that regard. Even throughout a tough economic time, many Greek women decided to get breast augmentations and other plastic surgery procedures.
9. Mexico
Just like in Colombia, this is a culture of beauty pageants where women and girls are simply expected to look stunning at all times. Additionally, people from the states have been traveling here for years to get more affordable procedures. Mexico had a total of 580,000 procedures in 2019. As of 202, the most popular procedure was liposuction.
10. India
Many people travel to India to get plastic surgery since the expenses are often less expensive than locations in the West. Thanks to the Bollywood film industry, the entire country is obsessed with looking more fair-skinned, having straighter hair, and a slimmer body. To look like these Bollywood stars, many Indian women go under the knife or get Botox procedures.
